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Massport's efforts to relieve pressure on Logan International Airport and its neighbors continues to gain momentum at Worcester Regional Airport. Governor Paul Cellucci, Worcester City Manager Thomas Hoover and Pan Am President Dave Fink joined Massport officials to announce expanded Pan Am service from Worcester to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The addition of San Juan service comes on the heels of very strong Pan Am bookings at Worcester since announcing service to Orlando in December 2000. Pan Am received over 3,000 advance bookings for the Orlando service, their strongest entry into any market.

"This is another win in the effort to build a strong regional air system that can alleviate the burden on Logan Airport and the nearby communities," said Massport Executive Director and CEO Virginia Buckingham. "Daily service to popular destinations like Orlando and San Juan is just what we need to turn Worcester Airport into a real alternative to Logan."

The non-stop Pan Am Orlando flights will use 727 jets with 149 seats (64 seats have been removed) providing passengers leg-room comparable with First Class seating. From Sanford, travelers will be able to make easy connections to the many tourist attractions in the Greater Orlando area.

Pan Am fares to Sanford will be competitive with fares from Logan to Orlando. Last year, more than 547,000 people from Massachusetts traveled to Orlando.

Beginning in late May, the Orlando flight will offer connecting service to San Juan. The total trip time will be 5 = hours, just thirty minutes longer than a direct flight from Logan. San Juan is the gateway to the Caribbean and a major cruise industry hub. Last year the Port of San Juan handled 678 cruise ships. Logan currently offers five daily flights to San Juan.

With increased service and improved access, Worcester Airport can handle as many as one million passengers per year. Since Massport began operating Worcester in January 2000, three new airlines have entered the market and the number of passengers using the airport has more than doubled.

"This past year has proven that if you give people the right service at the right price they will fly from Worcester Airport," said Buckingham. "Not every new flight or airline service has to start and end at Logan. With regionalization, we are spreading the burden of air travel equitably and fairly."

Massport has aggressively marketed Worcester Regional Airport to the airlines and has developed innovative marketing and advertising programs to encourage Central Massachusetts residents to use the airport. In marketing Worcester Airport, Massport is building on the success seen at regional airports in Manchester and Providence. While regional airports are booming, Logan's growth has declined to under two percent a year.

The revitalization of Worcester Airport is a key component of the state's regional aviation strategy, which includes improving ground access to nearby Manchester Airport and T.F. Green in Providence, both among the fastest growing regional airports in the country.

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